Faculty of Social Work Inner City ACCESS Site applicant admission requirements (2025-2026)

Full time program: March 1, 2025
Part time program: February 1, 2025

This information is available with, and constitutes part of, the application. It is assumed that all applicants have read and understood it prior to submitting the completed application.

Programs offered

Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)

A. Eligibility Requirements

Full-Time

To be eligible for consideration for admission to the Faculty of Social Work Inner City Full-Time ACCESS Site, applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Are at least 21 years old by the program start date.
2. Applicants fall below the low income cut off bracket (LICO).
3. Are a resident of the City of Winnipeg.
4. Have 27 credit hours or less of university level course work and must be in good academic standing. Only grades of C or higher will be included in the credit hour count.
5. Demonstrate suitability for social work profession based on the assessment of an autobiography, 2 references, a face-to-face interview and interactive in-service that indicates:
   - Inner city experience
   - Volunteer or lived experience
   - Community involvement
   - Suitability for the social work profession
6. Participate in and pass a writing/reading comprehension test. The reading component includes reading a social work text for comprehension while the writing component includes writing on a selected social work topic.

Part-Time

To be eligible for consideration for admission to the Faculty of Social Work Inner City Part-Time ACCESS Site, applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Are at least 21 years old by the program start date.
2. Are a resident of the City of Winnipeg.
3. Have 27 credit hours or less of university level course work and must be in good academic standing. Only grades of C or higher will be included in the credit hour count.
4. Are employed by a social service agency in Winnipeg, or by an Indigenous child welfare agency.
5. Have a minimum of 2 years Canadian employment in a social services field, or 3 years of extensive volunteer work with 1 year relevant Canadian social service employment.
6. Demonstrate suitability for the Social Work profession based on the assessment of an autobiography and 3 references showing:
   - Inner city experience
   - Volunteer or lived experience
   - Community involvement
   - Suitability for the social work profession
7. Participate in and pass a writing/reading comprehension test.  The reading component includes reading a social work text for comprehension while the writing component includes writing on a selected social work topic.
8. Participate in interviews.

All applicants are advised that this is a competitive program with limited spaces and that applicants meeting minimum eligibility requirements cannot be assured admission.

B. English Language Proficiency Requirements

All applicants whose primary language is not English and do not qualify for a waiver under the University of Manitoba’s English language proficiency regulations will be required to demonstrate proficiency in English.

Additional information regarding specific proficiency requirements, waiver information, and test options can be found on the English language proficiency requirements page.

• English language proficiency requirements

Results for most language tests, including TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo, expire two years from the test date. Test scores must be valid at the start of classes. Please confirm the validity of your test results.

B. Deadlines and Important Dates

Part-Time Program Applicants

Information Sessions – Part-Time program Applicants

• Thursday, October 17, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 10, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
• Monday January 20, 2025, 5:30 p.m.

Full-Time Program Applicants

Information Sessions – Full-Time program Applicants

• Friday, October 4, 2024, 10:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, November 5, 2024, 6:00 p.m.
• Friday, December 4, 2024, 10:00 a.m.
• Monday, January 6, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
• Thursday, February 20, 2025, 10:00 a.m.

B. Required Application Documentation

The following documents will be required to complete your application.

Please drop off all of the following documentation with the paper application to the following address:

University of Manitoba - Inner City Social Work Program

William Norrie Centre
485 Selkirk Ave.
Winnipeg, MB R2W 2M6

C. Required Admission Documentation

All BSW applicants offered admission are required to:

• Provide a completed Criminal Record (CR) check obtained through the local police service. (May not be older than three months prior to the date of offer).
• Provide a completed Child Abuse Registry (CAR) (for residents of Manitoba) or a Vulnerable Sector check (for residents of provinces where there is no Child Abuse Registry). (May not be older than three months prior to the date of offer).

A positive response on the CR check, the CAR or Vulnerable Sector check, or the declaration regarding previous criminal convictions, does not necessarily eliminate applicants; however, it shall require that the applicant participate in a personal interview with the Director. The Faculty reserves the right, based on it’s findings, to declare an applicant ineligible for admission.

A. Selection

Applicants who are determined as meeting the eligibility criteria (see Section 2: Eligibility Requirements) are compiled and applicants are selected.

The selection process is designed to accomplish three objectives: to treat applicants fairly and equitably, to provide a diversity of practitioners required by the profession, and to provide for an efficient admissions process. The Faculty of Social Work selects applicants to the Bachelor of Social Work Inner City ACCESS site based on social, financial and academic need, suitability and readiness. The purpose of the Inner City ACCESS site is to achieve equity in professional education so that persons are not denied educational opportunities for reasons unrelated to academic ability. In the fulfilment of this goal, the aim is to correct the conditions of disadvantage in professional education experienced by Canadian Indigenous Peoples, persons with accessibility needs, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, immigrants and refugees to Canada, and persons who because of their race or colour, are a racialized minority in Canada.

The program gives preferences to: Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Status, Non-Status, Inuit, Métis), persons with accessibility needs, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, immigrants and refugees to Canada, and persons who because of their race or colour, are a racialized minority in Canada.

All completed applications of the ACCESS program are screened by a committee. Applicants who have been recommended by the committee are invited for interviews. Each applicant is interviewed by a panel that consists of faculty members, alumni and/or a community representative.

The panel uses a screening tool to evaluate each applicant and recommends those most suited for the program.

B. Notification of Decision

Successful applicants are notified of the Selection Coordinator decision by email and mail. To proceed with admission, all newly admitted students must complete a University of Manitoba online application.

Once the offer of admission has been granted by the faculty, the application link will be given to the student.  The student must submit and pay for the application by the deadline date of March 26, 2025 for the part -time program and June 24, 2025 for the full time program.

Final official decisions from the University of Manitoba will be posted to the applicant’s portal. Applicants must log into their application portal to view the decision and to accept or decline their offer. If the offer is not accepted by the deadline date indicated in the letter, the offer will lapse. Lapsed offers will be considered a declined response. It is imperative that email accounts remain current and that emails and application portals are regularly checked.

Applicants offered admission will have ten (10) business days to respond and indicate their acceptance.

Individuals who wish to have their applications reconsidered should submit their request in writing to the Chair of the Selection Committee. Past experience has shown that most inquiries can be satisfied at this level without further reference. Persons wishing reconsideration of the decision of the Selection Committee shall direct their request to the Chair within ten (10) business days of the posted decision date. All appeals must come directly from the applicant and not a third party (e.g. parent, sibling, friend, agent, etc.).

Should the student wish to pursue the reconsideration decision further, such an appeal will be made in accordance with the Senate Committee on Appeals Procedures.

• Review the Senate Committee on Appeals policy and procedures

Applicants are advised that appeals of reconsideration decisions by the Chair of the Selection Committee and the Senate Appeal Committee focus on questions of correct adherence to published policies and procedures outlined in this document, and not on subjective issues or the relative merits of the application.

The Faculty of Social Work and Admissions Office are able to assist applicants who seek counselling regarding admission to the Faculty of Social Work. However, it is policy not to instruct applicants as to a specific course of action they should follow, but rather to provide the information needed for applicants to make their own choice with respect to the alternatives available. The following points require special attention:

1. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their plans with all who can usefully advise them, but they should be aware that second and third hand information about admission policies may not be accurate.
2. No official at the university can guarantee the admission of any applicant. Admission is determined by the Committee on the basis of an annual competition.
3. All applicants are advised to supplement any personal enquiries with a written request so that an official written response can be made. It is only these written responses which will be considered as evidence of any advice given (see Section 8: Contact Information).

The University of Manitoba is committed to providing all students equal access to learning opportunities. If you are a student with a diagnosed disability (permanent, chronic, or temporary) who may require academic accommodations, please contact Student Accessibility Services at 204-474-7423 or by email at student_accessibility@umanitoba.ca to learn more about the confidential supports that are available.

The following other contacts may also be useful.

The Bachelor of Social Work Inner City ACCESS site at the William Norrie Centre is an inner-city extension of the UM Faculty of Social Work. Students admitted to the Inner City ACCESS site are accepted directly into a either a 4-year full time ACCESS B.S.W. program or a 6year part-time B.S.W. program. The objective of this program is to enhance the accessibility of the B.S.W. program by preparing as social workers, those mature students who have had inner-city or similar social service experience, but who require academic supports in order to pursue a university degree. Enhanced academic and social support is provided to students admitted to the program. Staff assists candidates in arranging funding resources. All students complete a total of 123 credit hours of university study. Full time or part-time study is offered.

The BSW program is accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education, and graduates are eligible for acceptance into schools of graduate studies.

The BSW degree is accepted as a professional degree by the Manitoba College of Social Workers and by the Canadian Association of Social Workers. Holders of this degree are eligible to apply for membership to these organizations.